•Charlotte's pragmatic view of love and marriage actually conceals her fear and desperation. She sees love as irrelevant to a marriage and believes that a woman ought to limit her intimacy with her husband in order to avoid the inevitable disappointments. This indicates that Charlotte sees a husband as a commodity or means to an end. Even though Elizabeth criticizes Charlotte's recommendation, there was sadly a great deal of truth to it in Jane Austen's time. Charlotte is aware that if her expectations for a mate are too high, she risks becoming a struggling spinster. If she lowers her standards, though, she may not find love but at least she will be comfortable.